Not a Normal Cat
by BaconWrappedRainbows
Summary: Benny finds it a bit odd when a rather overweight tabby cat keeps somehow finding its way into his life, but there's nothing about the situation that seems completely paranormal... That is, until he finds out what's really going on. Weird supernatural-ey AU. Angst that becomes fluff. Bicely Johnstreet, eventually. Rated for good reasons (death, smoking, "swearing", etc.) Enjoy!
1. The Cat

Benny Southstreet sauntered down the street towards his flat. He was excited that Nathan had let him off work early instead of Nicely, and he couldn't wait to relax on the couch and read until his roommate returned. He reached the door to his flat, and was searching for his keys in his pockets when he heard a loud and distinctive meow behind him. He turned and saw a rather overweight brown and white striped cat staring him in the face.

Benny smiled at the animal and opened the door. To his surprise, the cat decided to go into his flat, rushing into the door and up the stairs.

"Hey, I didn't invite you in here!" Benny called, closing the door and hurriedly following the surprisingly fast feline into the living room. When he reached his destination, the runaway cat was standing there, staring at him with curious hazel eyes.

"Go on, this ain't your house," Benny said to the cat.

The feline meowed in defiance, not budging.

Southstreet walked over to the fat mammal. He looked down at it, arms crossed. "You're obviously not a stray, look at the size of you. Your owner probably wouldn't like that you're wanderin' around like this."

The cat meowed again and rushed over to the couch.

Benny sighed and followed the cat again.

"Go on, get out."

It jumped up onto the couch.

"No- Ah, whatever. Stay." Benny had given up trying to get rid of the intruder, so he went on with his earlier plan of curling up with a book until his friend came back. He sat down, located his book, and resumed reading. He had only read a page when he heard a meow of complaint. He looked over at the tabby in question and sighed. "What do you want now?"

The cat meowed again and crawled onto Benny's lap, plopping itself down rather ungracefully.

"You want to be pet, do you? Alright." He gently ran a hand down its back, almost immediately drawing a purr from the animal. Benny smiled, before petting it again, this time paying more attention to its nearly silky fur. The cat purred loudly in delight, nestling into Benny's lap. Amused, Benny turned his attention back to the book, however, continuing to pet the fat tabby, which was very content under his gentle hands.

It was half an hour later that Benny impatiently checked his watch. He frowned.

"Nicely should be home by now, I wonder where he is..."

The cat nestled in his lap meowed suddenly, getting up.

"Where you goin'?"

The brown and white animal swiftly moved towards an open window.

"Now you decide to leave? We was just gettin' to know each other!"

The cat meowed one last time before somewhat gracefully (considering its size) jumping out the window and onto the branch of a nearby tree.

Benny laughed at the absurdity of the whole situation and went back to reading his book.

[][][]

About fifteen minutes later, Benny heard his friend enter the flat.

"Hey Nice'," Benny greeted casually, sliding a bookmark into his current page and tossing the book onto the table.

"Hey," Nicely replied, walking into the living room.

"You took awhile."

"Yeah... Nathan kept me."

"Oh?"

"Mm-hm. He made me run some errands for him..."

"I see."

"Gee, I'm starved... What did you make for dinner?"

"I didn't make nothin', you think I would take the time to cook somethin'? I almost never cook!"

Nicely frowned. "I was hopin'..."

"Well, there's leftover lasagna in the fridge."

Nicely's hazel eyes lit up. "Really? Oh, bless you, Benny." He ran over to the fridge and retrieved the leftovers and a spoon before rushing back to join his friend on the couch.

"So," Johnson said between chews, "If you wasn't makin' me dinner, was was you doin'?"

Benny shrugged. "Just sittin' here."

"You're covered in... is that cat hair?"

"Ah, yes. You ain't gonna believe this, but when I got home, a cat followed me inside."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Did you try to get it out?"

"Yeah, but it wouldn't leave. It just sat on my lap demanding to be pet. Then about a half hour later, it left out the window."

Nicely got a confused expression. "That's weird. Are you sure it didn't want food?"

Benny shrugged. "Maybe. But I didn't want to give it anything, it was too fat to be a stray. That cat was fatter than you," the darker-haired man teased, poking his chubby friend's stomach.

Nicely frowned slightly, pausing his eating for a second. "I'm not fat, I'm... fluffy."

Benny laughed. "Yes, you most certainly are."

[][][]

A week later, Benny had a day off work due to a cold. Nicely was busy convincing a pet store owner to let Nathan have the floating crap game at his store that Friday night, so Benny had the house to himself. Not that he really took advantage of it; slept in until his sore throat woke him at around noon. Grumbling, he peeled himself out of bed, and, dressed only in his underwear and a blanket wrapped around his shoulders, he went to the kitchen to make himself some tea. When he got there, however, he noticed not all was normal. Standing in the middle of the living room floor was a very familiar brown and white tabby cat.

"Oh, look who decided to come back!" he said to it, before walking past it to the kitchen.

"Wait," he said, stopping and turning back to the cat, "How did you get in here?" Benny brushed his messy dark hair out of his face as his blue eyes scanned his apartment. His gaze fell on an open window. "Ah. I thought I closed that." Southstreet crossed the room and closed the window, before finally starting to make the tea.

As he was nearly done, he felt something furry brushing against his lower leg. He looked down, and, sure enough, the fat animal was rubbing itself against his leg, purring happily.

Benny smiled. "Aw, you really like me, don't ya?"

The cat meowed, as if saying yes. Southstreet chuckled, before returning to his bedroom, tea in hand. Unsurprisingly, the intruding mammal followed him into his room.

"Oh, come on, you're followin' me to bed?"

The cat stared at him.

Benny sighed. "Okay, whatever. I ain't lettin' you out later, though."

Benny took a drink from his mug before placing it on the bedside table, and then he climbed in, spreading the blanket over himself.

The tabby hopped up onto the bed with his new companion. Southstreet stroked its head, causing it to lay down and close its eyes in relaxation. Benny smirked, his hand migrating down its back and onto the animal's sides. It purred, rolling onto its back, giving Benny full access to its fuzzy stomach. Southstreet smirked. "Well, at least now I know you're a boy," he pointed out, before complying to the cat's wishes, petting its (his, apparently) tummy.

Around fifteen minutes later, Benny had finished his tea and his tiredness had returned. With a yawn, he placed his now empty mug on the table and lay himself down, occupying the left side of the bed. He closed his eyes, but opened them again as he felt the furry warmth of the cat snuggle up against his bare chest. He smirked, hugging the cat close, and giving him an absentminded kiss on the head. The animal mewed in pleasure, becoming limp under Benny's arm. Southstreet closed his eyes, and, with the cuddly feline close to him, fell fast asleep.

[][][]

Benny woke up at around eleven o'clock that night to a disappointingly catless bed. He sat up. To his delight, his sore throat had disappeared. However, it had been replaced by a stuffy nose. He groaned, before sneezing rather spectacularly.

He heard a soft knock on the door.

"Yeah?"

Nicely Johnson gingerly opened the door. "So, you're awake, Benny."

"Mh-hm."

"You need anything?"

"No thanks."

Nicely walked in, standing beside his sick friend. "Sorry the cat left."

"Yeah... he was great company."

Nicely smiled.

"Wait, Nice'; how did ya know the cat came back?"

Johnson cleared his throat. "Uh... I... It was here when I came in... I let it out."

"Ah."

"Yeah...You sure you don't need anythin'?"

"I'm sure."

Nicely touched a hand to his best friend's forehead. "Well, you don't have a fever, that's good. I think you'll be fine for now."

Benny smiled a bit. "Thank you, Doctor."

"You're very welcome."

[][][]

Benny groaned, leaning back in the uncomfortable chair he was occupying. A pile of Nathan's half-finished paperwork was strewn across the plain wooden table, and Benny had to complete all of it in an hour. He groaned, rubbing his eyes. It wasn't fair, really. When Benny got the day off and Nicely was working, Johnson got to do the easy work. But when Benny was the only one there, he has to do the tedious stuff. He got up, figuring he could take a short break. He walked over to the door of the small back room, opening it.

He looked down to see a ball of striped fur looking up at him with inquisitive hazel eyes.

Benny sighed. "Now how did you find me here?"

The fat cat meowed in response.

"Well, I suppose I've grown rather fond of you. Come in."

He walked back into the room, and the cat followed him. Benny sat back down on the chair, and his furry friend attempted to be graceful as he leapt up onto Benny's lap. Southstreet smiled, beginning to pet him gently.

"I'm glad you found me," Benny said quietly, "You have no idea what Nathan's puttin' me through today."

The cat purred, nuzzling into Benny's thigh.

"It ain't fair! Nicely never has to paperwork..." he complained.

The fluffy mammal stared at Benny.

"Hm... I guess I should get back to work..."

Benny picked up the black pen he had been using and continued to fill everything out. He was writing for only a minute before he heard a cry for attention from the cat.

"Shut up," Benny muttered, but made sure to caress its head softly with his free hand.

It was another fifteen minutes before Benny was finally finished. He ceremoniously threw the pen down on the table, smiling broadly.

"Well, how about that!" he declared happily. The feline meowed in response.

He checked his watch. He realized he had finished with eight minutes to spare.

"Wow, this is impressive, ain't it! I should get this to Nathan so I can go home."

He didn't even have the chance to act on this thought before the door opened, revealing Nathan Detroit.

"Hello, Benny!" he said, entering the small back room, "How's it comin' along?"

"Very well, thanks. I'm all done."

"Ah, really? Wonderful." Nathan's eyes dropped to the fat tabby nestled in Southstreet's lap. "Nicely, what are you doin' here?" he asked it, "I gave you the day off for a reason."

The cat hissed aggressively.

"What d'ya mean, shut up? Does Benny not know?"

Southstreet was instantly very confused. The cat leapt down, glaring at Nathan. It gave an angry meow.

"Oh..." Detroit looked back up at Nicely. "I... I suppose you don't understand, do you."

Benny shook his head. "I don't."

Nathan shifted his weight awkwardly. "Well, uh... this cat... It ain't a normal cat. It's... Nicely."


	2. Learning

**A/N: Hello! I'm glad to see that there are some of you actually reading this, even though it's really weird and my first attempt at angst. That always makes me happy.**

**I'm posting waaaaaaaaaaaaaay earlier than planned, but I saw no reason not to. I became impatient.**

**If you don't know what's going on, hang in there, all will be explained in this chapter.**

**An especially huge thank you to mah buddeh Rue Sue for reviewing, favouriting, and following! You da bestest! Everyone take note and follow her lead!**

**Aight, the fluffy friendship is gone. Time for two chapters of my attempt at angst. That means Nicely being a sensitive lovesick puppy (or should I say kitty) and Benny being a complete ass**_butt_**. **

**And then it gets even darker. I think. And it becomes 99% long dialogue.**

**I know Benny is being a total intolerant scumbag, but try not to hate him too much. He's just very confused.**

**Also if anyone spots where I paraphrased "Radio-Friendly Pop Song" by Matt Fishel, I LOVE YOU AND YOUR TASTE IN MUSIC.**

**Welp, I think that's all for this author's note. Please leave a review explaining your feels. Because I know you will have some. Even if they are "you suck, BaconWrappedRainbows." Because telling me that is better than leaving me to suck without knowledge of my suckage. **

**Thanks, and enjoy!**

**-Everyone's favourite egomaniac, Katisha :)**

* * *

Benny's eyes widened. "What?"

Nathan looked back at the feline, which then spontaneously morphed into something decidedly not a cat. It was indeed Nicely Johnson.

"I-I'm... sorry, Benny..." Nicely said awkwardly.

Benny stared at his roommate, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

Nathan looked at him too. "You better apologize, Nicely. This ain't no way to use your powers, even for mating purposes, and you know it. You're gonna have to explain this to Benny yourself, I ain't steppin' into this." Nathan's voice was stern, and Nicely immediately grasped the seriousness of the situation. He cowered away from his boss. "Yes, Mister Detroit." Nathan glared at Johnson one last time before exiting the room.

Once he was out of the room, it was just Benny and Nicely, staring awkwardly at each other.

"Benny... I'm sorry..."

Benny's blue eyes narrowed slowly. "I don't understand any of this, Nicely. So... you're the cat?"

Nicely nodded.

"All this time, it was you?"

"Yes."

"How... I don't get it..."

"I know, I... you weren't meant to find out like this—"

Benny abruptly stood up, fists clenching tightly at his sides. "—You mean you were gonna keep this whole freakish thing a secret from me?"

Nicely stepped backward. "I was going to tell you eventually, I was just waitin' for the right time..."

Benny approached his friend. "You were gonna trick me like this until you were ready to stop?" he growled.

"I... I'm sorry, Benny, I really shouldn't have done—"

"—Damn right you shouldn't have! You're a disgusting freak, Alexander Johnson!"

Nicely's eyes closed in pain. Benny never used his real name. "I see why you would think that..."

Benny grabbed Johnson by the collar, shoving him forcefully against the wall.

"I can't believe what you got me to do to you."

"Yes, I-I'm sorry... I really am..."

"Well, sorry doesn't cut it!" Benny yelled.

"Please, Benny, you don't have to forgive me, just... don't hurt me..."

This pushed Southstreet over the line. "I have every right to hurt you!" he shouted, before his fist connected with Nicely's nose.

[][][]

Benny threw the finished cigarette to the ground, walking out of the back alley he had been standing in. He wasn't a smoker. It wasn't a habit; he only smoked whenever he needed to think hard about something. And he needed to think. His best friend had just confessed, with the unwanted help of his boss, that he was somehow the cat that had been sneaking into Benny's life to be pet for the past month. He had no idea how this was possible and why it had happened, and now that his anger had receded a bit, he was ready to get an explanation from his roommate.

[][][]

It was late when Benny returned to his apartment. He found Nicely sitting on the couch. The younger man looked quite tense as Benny approached him, and he looked up at him, his eyes widened in fright. Benny noticed how terrible the smaller gambler looked. His nose had stopped bleeding, but it was badly bruised, along with his temples and chin. His left eye was beginning to become swollen, it would definitely be a black eye. Benny wasn't very remorseful for what he had done to his best friend. From what he knew so far, Nicely deserved it.

Benny cleared his throat. "So, Alexander," he started, his voice calm, but not friendly.

Nicely waited for him to continue, the tension in his body remaining the same.

"I don't think I'll hit you again. Not unless you really deserve it."

Nicely allowed himself to relax a tiny bit. "A-alright."

Benny sat down in an armchair across from the couch that his roommate was occupying.

"I'm guessin' you have questions..." Nicely said quietly, his eyes not quite meeting Benny's.

"Yes, I do. And you're going to answer them."

"I'll do my best."

Benny sighed in exasperation. "Okay. Let's start with the obvious one. What are you?"

Nicely swallowed. "Uh, well..."

Benny looked at him impatiently.

"Benny, I know you ain't gonna believe this, because of how completely strange it is, and I've been lying to you constantly do the past month, but please, just believe me—"

"—Cut this nonsense, just tell me right now what the hell you are!" Benny was yelling again, and Nicely cringed, shrinking away in fright.

"O-okay..." Nicely stuttered. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before finally making eye contact with his friend. "I'm... I ain't human, obviously. I'm sort of... a spirit. I'm part of a race of immortal beings that can take the shape of a human and one kind of animal. There are about a hundred of us on Earth, livin' around here and there. We don't have much magical abilities other than shapeshiftin', but if we get killed, we come back to life after a day."

Benny nodded. "Okay... So... you're an immortal magical guy who can turn into a cat?"

"Yes."

Southstreet shook his head, laughing in disbelief as he leaned back into the chair. "Alright. So... how did Nathan know?"

"Nathan is another one. That's how he could talk to me when I was a cat."

"Wow... So is he secretly your brother or something?"

"No. Nathan is... much older than me."

Benny gave the other man a confused look. "What? He's thirty-three years old, he's told me. You're only ten or so years younger than him."

"Well, Benny, Nathan looks about thirty-five years old. That's when we all stop aging physically. But we're immortal, remember? He's actually closer to..." Nicely thought for a moment. "One thousand, three hundred and fifty-two years old... I think."

Benny was incredulous. "What?"

"You heard me."

"And how old are you, exactly?"

"I'm really twenty-three."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"Does Nathan also turn into a cat?"

"No, we all turn into different animals. Our animal represents our soul. Nathan's a seagull."

Benny laughed. "A seagull? Wow."

Nicely smirked slightly. "Mm-hm."

"Okay, so... Why did you do this anyway? Why did you sneak into the apartment as a cat and get me to pet you?"

Johnson's smirk faded immediately, replaced by a distraught expression and a dark blush. "Uh... Well..."

Benny shifted in his seat, eyes glued on his friend.

"Benny... Can I... It's rather late, and I'd like to sleep on it... I don't think I quite have the words to describe it yet—"

"—No, I want you to tell me right now."

"Please, Benny, it's been a stressful day for me, and I need to sleep. I promise that I'll explain everything first thing tomorrow morning."

"No. It's been just as stressful for me as for you, and I ain't gonna wait another day to know exactly what's going on and exactly why you did it."

"Benny, I..." his voice trailed off. "...Alright. I'll tell you now. You deserve to know."

"Okay."

Nicely sighed, looking pained as he thought for a moment about what to say. "Okay. I'm just gonna explain a bit more about what I am, so that you understand what I'm telling you. So, another thing about us; we don't go through love and datin' and all that before we reproduce. We're born knowin' which human we will love. We know their name and where they live from the moment we're born. We start lovin' them before we've even met, and, for some, before they even exist. Our purpose is to find them, care for them, and eventually mate with them. This'll cause them to become one of us, as well as a new member of our species to be magically born, and then raised by our elders. Our love for our potential mate ain't like human love, though. It's more like an obsession. It's feverish, passionate love that never dies. It can be calmed a bit, but it's really consuming. It drives us mad."

"Alright, so... This whole petting thing was because you're going crazy for some doll?"

"No, Benny. That's not it."

"So what is it then?"

Nicely sighed deeply. "I..." his voice trailed off again. "Benny, don't take this the wrong way, but... I..."

Benny looked at him expectantly.

"I'm in love with you."

Southstreet's jaw dropped. "What...?"

"I love you, Benny. You're... my mate. I've always loved you and I've always wanted you and I think you're perfect and—"

"—You... love... me?" Benny repeated slowly.

"Yes."

"But... we're both guys! That ain't natural—"

"—Benny, please let me explain! I just love you, and I always have... I love you so much that it drove me crazy! I couldn't contain myself anymore; I wanted to be nearer to you, I needed you to touch me, to hold me... And I knew I couldn't do that as a human, so I did it as a cat. I know it was wrong, Benny, I know, I tricked you, and I hate myself for it, but I couldn't help it any longer! I've wanted you since before you knew who I was, and I was gonna wait longer, and I was gonna tell you in a nice way, and I ruined it, I know. I know you're mad at me, and you're allowed to be mad at me. You don't have to forgive me, Benny; you can hate me if you want. But just try to understand. You've been in love! You know what love does! Please, please try to understand. I know I'm wrong, but..." The words that were cascading out of Nicely's mouth suddenly stopped. "I... love you, and I don't want to imagine life without you. I understand if you hate me, but, just for me, can you please, please consider being... my mate?"

Benny furrowed his brow. "What? You... Are you crazy?" the human got up off the chair, towering over the other man. "Your... 'mate'? Do you even... You're a guy, Alexander. I'm also a guy. You know who guys are supposed to 'mate' with? Dolls. Dolls like guys, and guys like dolls; and that's the way it's been forever. That's the way I do it. That's the way everyone does it. I don't know what's goin' on in that freaky mind of yours that made you forget that that's how it works. But it's obviously somethin' big, 'cause you've gone crazy."

Nicely shrunk away from Benny's insults, his eyes starting to become shiny with tears. However, Southstreet didn't seem to notice.

"I mean," Benny continued, "just look at what you've made me do to you! I've... pet you, held you... hell, I even slept with you in my arms. And it's disgusting. I'm disgusted with you, Alexander Johnson. Yes, I've been in love, and yes, it's made me do crazy things. But I've been in love with women. Like a normal man. So no, I will not be your 'mate'. Goodnight." With that, Benny walked to his bedroom, leaving a shattered Nicely alone.

He cried freely now; Benny wouldn't notice.


	3. Dying

**A/N: Helloooo!**

**I am getting the impression that there are a few people liking this? Yay**

**This chapter is sort of short, I apologize.**

**ANGST HAPPENS IN THIS CHAPTER**

**Or at least what I attempted to make sound like angst**

***thumbs up***

**If you must cry, do not do so on my fanfic. **

**You probably won't cry though; unless you're like me. I cried while writing it… :-/**

**Well, that is all.**

**Enjoy?**

**-Kit Kat Cass**

**P.S. LasagnEEEEEEEEEEEEE**

* * *

Benny took a bit longer than usual to get up the next morning. When he finally got up, he was somewhat surprised to find Nicely already in the kitchen, making coffee.

"Good morning, Nicely," Benny greeted.

Nicely looked up. "Ah. Good morning." He handed Benny the cup of coffee, before stepping back again, as if worried about invading his personal space.

Benny looked in the cup suspiciously.

"Don't worry, I didn't drug it or anything. I wouldn't do that to you."

"Yeah, okay. Well, thanks," Benny said, before taking a careful sip. Upon realizing it was indeed normal coffee, Benny took a longer drink. "Um... Nicely... I thought about last night... I'm sorry for overreacting like that. I should have understood that you couldn't choose to love me; it ain't your fault. But, don't get me wrong, I'm still mad at you for what you've done, and I'll never be your mate."

Nicely nodded. "Thank you, that's more than I expected you to do for me. I'm glad that we'll be on good terms when I leave." His tone was strangely grave.

Benny walked over to the couch and sat down. "You're movin' out?"

Nicely smiled sadly. "In a sense."

"Well, are you movin' out or not? There ain't an in between."

Nicely sighed. "I said there was only one hundred a hundred or so of us on this planet. If we're immortal, how do ya think that works?"

Southstreet shrugged. "I don't know... you said specifically 'on this planet'... do they go on another planet when they get too old?"

Johnson shook his head. "No. That's not it. You see, Benny, no matter how different we are than other livin' things, we're still alive. Our purpose is to reproduce. For that, we need our mate. And now that you've rejected me, which I understand totally, I ain't got a purpose no more. There's no point in me being here."

"What d'ya mean? You've got a purpose, Nicely, and you know it. Nathan needs you, all the guys need you… I need you."

Nicely swallowed hard. "No, you don't need me, Benny. You've managed most of your life without me. I'm the one who needs you. I need you more that you can imagine, and I need you to do more for me then you want. I know you don't want to be my mate, and that's okay. You'll be okay."

Benny set the coffee down on the table in front of him and got up. "I don't know where you're goin' with this, Nice', but stop it now. I may not want to 'mate' with you, but we can still be friends, can't we?"

Nicely shook his head. "I wish. But it wouldn't work. I would still love you, I would grow more and more obsessed with you, and I know I'd do something that I'd regret. I'd hurt you, Benny. I'd force myself upon you and you'd be stuck with me forever. And that's my worst nightmare. Hurting you. I can't stand the thought. I'd rather die and be away from you forever than hurt you."

Benny looked at Nicely with wide blue eyes as he pieced together what his friend was suggesting.

"I'm dying, Benny," Nicely said, emotion too obvious in his tone. "I'm going to die in a few minutes."

"What? But, you can't die, you told me…?"

Nicely shook his head. "I said we couldn't be killed. If someone shot me, or even if I shot myself, I would come back in a day. But this is different. It's what we do when we want to live anymore don't want to live anymore. It's a painless death, but slow. It's like evaporating. I started an hour ago. At this point, there's nothing left of me, this is my spirit form."

"But–"

"– Yes, I look the same to you. Humans can't see our spirits, so your eyes are seeing my human form. But if you touch me, your hand will go right through."

Benny frantically tried to disprove his friend, but as he reached out to his shoulder, he found that there was nothing in front of him but empty air. "What? Oh God, Nicely, what's going on? Please tell me this is some sort of trick!"

The spirit shook his head. "No. I wouldn't trick you, not after I've already tricked you and made you mad. I'm not here anymore, Benny. I'm not here to hurt you and to trick you and lie to you. I'm sorry for everything I've ever done to you. And I know that, now that I'm gone, everything will be better for you."

"No, it won't be!" Benny yelled, "you can't leave me, Nicely. You're my best friend and I can't stand the thought of you dying because I overreacted!"

"Please, don't say that. This isn't your fault, not one bit. It's all my choice. I don't deserve you as a mate. And you don't deserve me. You deserve much better. You deserve a normal wife and a normal family, and I know that, with me gone, that's what you'll have. You'll have a better life without me than you ever could have had with me. This is all my choice, so don't you worry yourself for one second thinking that you somehow caused this. Go ahead, celebrate my death. I want you to be happy."

Benny opened his mouth to say something, but didn't, as he noticed the image of Nicely fade dramatically.

"Oh, well, I suppose this is it," Nicely said, his voice muffled, "There's no point in telling you I love you, because you know that. So, I will say this: you are the best man I have ever known, and I hope that you forget me entirely, because I was nothing to you. I only caused you pain. So don't bother remembering me, and may you have the best luck in anything that you do. Goodbye, Benny Southstreet."

"Nicely Johnson, don't you–" Benny tried to protest, but he was cut off as Nicely disappeared entirely.

"Nicely…?" he muttered quietly. There was dead silence in the apartment as reality sank in. Nicely was gone, and it was all Benny's fault.

"No…"

[][][]

Benny looked out the open window of his flat, half-heartedly lighting the cigarette. His third today. He inhaled, ignoring the burning feeling in his lungs. It was nothing, really, a little pain on top of everything he was already feeling. In fact, it was almost welcome as a distraction from the emptiness and silence in his flat. He had tried so hard to follow Nicely's advice and forget him, but he just _couldn't_. His every thought pulled him back to how much he missed his dead flatmate. He still couldn't believe that Nicely was gone. Dead, forever. Benny was alone. Alone, without his best friend. Alone with the thought that he had killed him.

_My fault._

Benny couldn't stop thinking that, despite all that Nicely had said, it was entirely his fault. It was undeniably all his doing. He had killed his best friend.

His mental image of Johnson was still fresh as ever. That rather adorable face, with innocent hazel eyes and light messy hair. He always smiled, always. Until the last day. Benny had hurt him, so much that he took his own life.

Southstreet wasn't surprised to feel tears beginning to spill from his eyes again. He had cried so often in the three days since Nicely's death that he had given up trying to be strong. His entire life had come to a screeching halt. He hadn't eaten, slept, or left the flat since that horrible day. He saw no reason to. What was life without Nicely? Was there one for him? How could Nicely possibly have believed that Benny would have no trouble forgetting someone who had meant so much to him, living as if he had never touched his life?

_I'm sorry, Nicely. So sorry. I overreacted. I know you didn't choose to love me. It wasn't your fault. You weren't trying to hurt me. I don't know why I was offended by your love. I hurt you. I don't hate you, Nicely, I hate myself._

_Please, come back._

_I need you._

_I'm dying._


	4. Return

**A/N: Hey hey hey!**

**Hope no one is having sad angst feels about the last chapter...**

**This one is happier! Yay!**

**Not as short of a chapter.**

**I'd like to thank Squideepoo for reviewing! You and Rue Sue are very cool.**

**That's all for now. Enjoy Nathan flying away dramatically. And some long-awaited Bicelying.**

**-BWR**

* * *

Benny felt a sudden warmth enveloping the room. He looked around frantically, trying to deduce what was going on. Then there was a bright light, almost blinding, shining in every direction. He squinted at it, and he soon saw the outline of a human... a man... an average height, chubby man... He got up, shielding his eyes from the light. It suddenly faded, along with the warmth. Confused, Benny rubbed his eyes, blinked, and looked up again. And his jaw dropped at what he saw.

"N-Nicely?" he stuttered incredulously.

"Benny..."

Southstreet smiled, running up to the other man. "Nicely! Oh my God... Are you really back? Please say this is real..."

Nicely looked down at himself, at his surroundings, and then at Benny. "I'm... back."

Benny laughed, and lurched forward, hugging Nicely tight against his chest. "Nicely! I thought I lost you forever! Oh, I'm so glad you're here..."

Nicely blushed at Benny's touch. "I... how long has it been?"

"A week, Nice'. The worst week of my life." The older man pulled back, still holding his friend's shoulders tightly. "How did you come back?"

"To be honest... I'm not sure. I thought I was dead forever as much as you did. There's only one explanation... and that's that you wanted me back."

"Well of course I wanted you back! I was grieving for a week straight!"

"No, I mean, you must have really wanted me back. There's a magical connection that forms between my kind and their potential mates. They have some control over the spirit, so you must have wished me back so strongly that I actually appeared..."

Benny nodded. "Yeah, sounds about right. I was lonely without you, Nicely. I missed you."

Nicely smiled. "Well, thank you."

Benny finally let go of his friend's shoulders. "Any time. Say, you want to head out to celebrate you comin' back? We can go for dinner or somethin', if you want..."

Nicely smiled. "Sure, Benny, I'd love to."

[][][]

The next day, the two men had just finished lunch and were sitting at the kitchen table when Benny noticed that his roommate seemed a little sad.

"Nicely, what's wrong?"

He sighed. "Nothing, I'm fine."

"I know that look. What's botherin' you?"

Johnson looked up at his friend. "I... Well, Benny, I know you're happy that I'm back, and, really, so am I. But what I said before is still true. I'm gonna have to die again."

"What? Why?"

"I told you before. I can't live without you bein' my mate. I'd hurt you. And since you can't be my mate, I'll have to go again. But this time, I'll make sure we're both ready so it ain't as bad."

Benny shook his head. "No, Nicely. I can't let you do that. I can't handle losing you again."

Johnson got up off his chair. "Benny, I love you more than you can imagine, and I know for a fact you find it disgusting. We can't live like this. I have a month, maybe, before I'll start craving you again, and we know how that turned out."

The human got up as well. "Nicely, you don't have to die. You can't die. I need you."

"You don't understand. I have to die. I'm so in love with you, and it ain't gonna end well," Johnson said, beginning to walk away. Benny grabbed his hand, stopping him.

"No, Nicely, you're the one who doesn't understand. I can't live without you."

Nicely turned around. "You just did. Last week."

"No. I wasn't living last week; I was dying. Dying slowly and painfully. It was the single worst week of my life. I've lost people before: family, friends... But it was nothing like what happened after I lost you. I didn't eat, I didn't sleep for more than an hour, I didn't leave the apartment. I smoked, Nicely. I barely did it before, but without you, I was smoking... I lost count. I don't even know anymore. I missed you so much the word 'miss' lost its meaning. You were all I could think about. In the small amount of sleep I got, I dreamt of you. I woke up screaming 'cause you were gone. I couldn't handle it. I was lost, Nicely. I counted every minute to try to keep my mind off you. I cried for you. I cried for days wishing you'd come back, that I could be with you again. I realized how much you meant to me, how much I needed you. And you coming back is the best thing that could have happened to me. I'm the happiest and the luckiest man on Earth right now. And now you're telling me that I have to go through that again? Not a chance, Nicely. Not a chance in hell."

Nicely was shocked. "Wow... I... I didn't know that I meant that much to you..."

"Of course you do!" Benny exclaimed, grabbing Nicely's other hand just as tightly as the first. "You mean the world to me, Nicely. You're the best friend I've ever had, and my favorite person on this planet. I take back everything I've ever said and done to hurt you. Every time I didn't cook dinner for you, every time I made you do Nathan's paperwork, every time I gambled with your money, every time I've called you fat, and most definitely everything I said to you the day before you took your life. I take it all back, because I hate myself for hurting someone who means so much to me."

Nicely was silent. "I don't know what to say to that..."

"How 'bout you promise me that you'll never, ever leave me like that again."

Johnson looked away.

"Promise me, Nicely, please!"

Nicely shook his head firmly. "I appreciate what you've said to me, but you still don't get it. I can't live. I love you, and you don't love me back. The only way for me to live is if you loved me, and you don't."

"So, the only way you can live is if I love you?"

"Yes! How come it's taken you so long to understand?"

Benny let go of Nicely's hands, tenderly running his own up the younger man's arms, to his shoulders. He leaned his forehead against Johnson's.

"And what if I decided to love you, just a little bit?"

Nicely blushed a dark crimson, his lips parting as if he were going to speak, but all that came out was a soft whimper.

Benny chuckled in amusement, before his hands migrated to Nicely's cheeks. He closed his eyes. He leaned forward slowly, until his lips gently touched the other man's. It was only a second before Nicely moaned in pleasure, arms wandering to Benny's waist. The taller man, quite experienced at kissing, immediately deepened their connection. He let his tongue trace lightly along Nicely's lower lip, earning a satisfied sigh from the younger man. Benny let his tongue tease at Nicely's, not wanting to go too far on their first kiss. He allowed his hands to travel to Johnson's shoulders, hugging him close for the last few seconds of their tender embrace. After that, Southstreet quietly broke the kiss. He looked a breathless Nicely in the eye, and smiled.

"You liked that, didn't you?"

Nicely hummed in contentment, leaning his head into Benny's shoulder. The taller man brushed his lips across Nicely's temple. "Have I convinced you yet?"

"Mm?"

"Have I convinced you not to leave me alone again?"

Nicely pulled back suddenly. "Is that what that was about? Convincing me?"

Benny laughed. "I suppose, in part."

Nicely promptly removed his arms and stepped back. "You don't love me, do you?"

"Well, I..."

With a ferocity neither man saw coming, Nicely slapped the other gambler, cutting him off. "How dare you play with me like this?" he spat, "You think you can just sweet talk me and kiss me once and I'll do what you want? Is that what you think?"

Benny rubbed his stinging cheek. "Uh..."

"You know, Benny, I hope that you understand that I didn't choose who to fall in love with, because I don't know who in their right mind would choose you," Nicely snapped, before turning on his heel and walking out the door.

[][][]

Nicely arrived at Nathan's house a few minutes later, knowing that he would be there but Adelaide wasn't. He rang the doorbell, and Nathan answered a few moments later.

"Nicely!"

"Hey, Nathan," Nicely greeted tiredly.

"What's up? I haven't heard from you or Benny in a week!"

"You haven't?"

"No! You've both been silent!"

"That selfish bastard!" Nicely said.

"What?"

"Nothin'."

"You're mad at Benny... Is everything alright?"

Johnson sighed. "No, nothing is alright, Nathan."

"Okay then, would you mind filling me in?"

Nicely sighed. "First of all, thank you for so helpfully outing me last week," he said sarcastically.

"Oh, now you're mad at me, too? Well, you deserved it. You know that's not how you should use your powers, for trickin' your potential mate like that."

"I know, Nathan, I already hate myself. It didn't help me, I learned that."

"Okay, so what happened next?"

"Benny beat me up. I managed to get myself home, and after a few hours, he came too. He got me to explain everything. The whole 'what am I' thing went okay, it just got complicated at the 'why I made him pet me' thing. I didn't want to, but I explained how I felt about him."

Detroit was interested. "And?"

"He wasn't impressed. He... rejected me."

Nathan frowned. "Ah, that's... that's terrible, Nicely, I'm so sorry..."

"It's fine."

"So... you came here to tell me that you're... going to die?"

"No. Well... maybe."

"What do you mean?"

"Nathan, the morning after I told him, I decided to end my life. I was dead for a week."

Detroit gaped. "What? But you're here... He brought you back?"

"Yeah."

"Nicely, get back there right now! That man loves you!"

Nicely laughed. "I don't think so. I mean, he obviously missed me and all, but before I died he said that it was disgusting and wrong for two guys to love each other."

"Hmm. I still think he likes you as more than a friend... So what were you mad at him for?"

"Well, today, I told him that I would have to die again 'cause he couldn't be my mate. Then he said that he couldn't live without me and I meant so much to him and all that. But I told him that I still needed to die because he didn't love me. And then... Then he kissed me..."

Nathan smiled. "Really? That's great, Nicely."

"No, it's not. He wasn't sincere. He doesn't actually love me; he was just playing with my feelings. I'd hate him if I didn't love him so much!"

Nathan laughed. "I'm not so sure I agree with you. I mean, I wasn't there to see it, but I think he probably meant it. If he were a doll, then I don't know. But he's a guy, and I don't know if a guy would kiss a guy just because. Guys don't do that."

"Hmm... I guess you might be right..."

"Of course I am. If only I could apply this to myself and get Adelaide..."

Nicely rolled his eyes.

"Now, Nicely, I've gotta go, so I suggest that you go home and have a serious talk with Benny about your feelings."

"Ugh, it seems like all we're doing now is having serious talks..."

"Well, have another one! Good luck!" With that, Nathan Detroit closed and locked the door behind him, transformed into his seagull form and flew away. A rather overdramatic exit, Nicely thought. He sighed, deciding to follow his boss's advice.

[][][]

Nicely arrived at his flat a few minutes later, to find Benny about to leave.

"Oh, hey Benny!" Nicely greeted, trying to make it clear in his tone that he was no longer mad at his friend.

"Nicely! I was just about to go lookin' for you!"

"Well, I suppose you don't have to," Johnson replied with a smile.

"So you ain't mad at me?"

"No, not at the moment."

Benny laughed. "Alright. But, Nicely, can I talk to you for a while?"

"I was just gonna suggest we do that."

"Great."

The two men scaled the stairs and entered the living room. They sat down beside each other on the couch.

"So, Benny," started the younger of the two, "talk."

Southstreet cleared his throat. "Okay... Well, I just wanted to apologize for earlier. That was uncalled for."

Nicely nodded. "I accept your apology, and I'm also sorry for slapping you."

"It's fine. I deserved it. Now, here's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna tell you something and you have to promise to not interrupt me, okay?"

"Okay..."

"Good. So the thing is, Nicely, earlier, I wasn't sweet-talkin' you at all. It's true that I suffered with you gone. It's true that I can't live without you, and it's definitely true that you mean the world to me. Over the past two years that we've lived together, I've gotten to know you as my best friend, and I'm truly lucky to have you. Last week, I told you that it was wrong for two guys to love each other. I said it was disgusting that you loved me. But that was me reacting out of shock, or something. I don't know why it took me two years, your death, your return, and a sudden kiss for me to figure out exactly how I feel about you. But at least I know now, before you could kill yourself again and be gone forever. The truth is... I love you, Nicely."


	5. Resolution

**A/N: Why hello there, BWRgles! **

**I suppose it has been quite a while since chapter 4, but, you know… I was sort of in a musical so yeah**

**Also I had to rewrite this chapter like 80957+ times before it was even remotely good.**

**Shoutout to Wiznerd the Eagle for proofreading it every time I rewrote it… even though she doesn't ship Bicely and has never even seen Guys and Dolls…**

**But yeah, everything comes to a close in this chapter, hence the name. Everything is happy.**

**Thank you to all who have read this fic; thank you for supporting me as I try to write angst.**

**Although this might not be the last you see of this AU… I have a sequel planned… :)**

**Ooh and I just HAD to drop an obscure Oliver! reference in here…**

**Chip-chip-cheerio!**

**~BaconWrappedRainbows**

**(Milk Woman)**

* * *

Nicely gaped at the other man, unsure that he had heard correctly.

"You can talk now, you know…" Benny offered.

Nicely swallowed. "Uh… I don't know what to say..."

"You don't believe I love you, don't you?"

The shapeshifter looked away.

Southstreet sighed, nervously rubbing his face with his hands. "You're right, Why should you? I've never shown you any kind of indication, or anything, that I love you, not until I kissed you earlier."

"Benny," Johnson started quietly. "I want to believe you; that you feel the same way about me as I do you; but I can't. Not after everything that you said to me, and everything that you've done. I don't know what's true and what you made up to make me stay with you."

Benny looked hurt. "I didn't make anything up, Nicely. It's all true."

The younger man paused, as if considering what he said. He finally met Southstreet's eyes. "You need to understand something. Before you try to go any further with... whatever this is. I know you've dated and dumped lots of dolls in the past, and you seem to think you can do the same with me. But you can't. This is different. If you were to mate with me, you'd be stuck with me forever. Until the end of all life on Earth. With a mental bond that can't be broken. You can't fake it. And you can't pretend to love me for long enough to mate with me, and then, once it's done, leave me or go back to just being friends or whatever you want. That ain't how it works. You'd be with me forever, as an immortal shapeshifter, just like me. The only way to get out of being my mate would be to kill yourself, like I did last week. Do you get how serious this is, Benny?"

"Yes, I get it. I get it, and I'd be _happy _to spend the rest of my life – or the rest of eternity, as it is – with you. Please, Nicely... Believe me? It's better that way, for both of us."

Nicely bit his lower lip thoughtfully. "Benny, I love you. Very much."

The other man stayed quiet, anticipating something more.

Nicely sighed heavily, looking away again. "I don't know what I expected when I came back here to talk to you. I guess I just wanted an apology from you. I guess I wanted you to tell me that you were lying to me and that you don't feel anything for me. Closure, that's what I wanted. I needed this to be over. I needed to know I could die again."

"I brought you back, Nicely," Benny nearly whispered. "Isn't that supposed to be special?"

"Yes. It is. Usually, we can only be brought back by our mates, or potential ones who love us."

"See? I'm not lying!" the older gambler said.

Nicely chewed on his bottom lip thoughtfully.

"Sweetheart... Can you... can you just try to believe me? Why would I lie to you like that? Do you really think I'd do that to you?"

The shapeshifter was silent for a moment, before he wordlessly pulled himself close to Benny, resting his head on the other's shoulder.

The human smiled and hugged Nicely tight. "Can I kiss you again?"

Nicely didn't respond verbally, but Benny took the small nuzzle into his neck as a clear sign of affirmation. Southstreet turned his head to the side, his cheek brushing against his friend's as the smaller man pulled away. Benny closed the gap between them again, this time, tenderly pressing his lips against Johnson's, much more gentle than the last time. He left his tongue out of the matter, instead letting his lips sweetly caress the other man's. Nicely was obviously enjoying this, as Benny gathered from the way he was humming contentedly against the older man's lips and the way he was squirming around to get a better angle. Benny's arms seemed to wander up his companion's back of their own accord, fingertips massaging gentle circles all the way up to the nape of his neck. They embraced for what seemed like hours, neither of them wanting to be the first to pull away. Eventually, Benny settled for migrating his kisses from Nicely's mouth to his cheeks, down his neck. He then placed his head on the younger man's shoulder, feeling each of Nicely's ragged breaths in his ear.

"I love you," Benny said.

"I love you, too."

"Nicie, can you promise me something?"

"What?"

"That I can be your mate, and that you'll never leave me again."

"Yes, I promise."

"Thank you."

The two were still for a long time, perfectly content to sit in silence in each other's arms.

[][][]

Nicely drifted awake as the sun began to enter through the window. He slowly and silently turned onto his side to check on his mate. Benny was still asleep on the other end of the bed, and, as usual, he has slipped into his tiger form during the night. Nicely smiled, scooting closer to the new shapeshifter. He gently wrapped his arms around his lover, nuzzling into his soft chest fur. He breathed in Benny's familiar scent, almost falling asleep again when his mate began to shift in his arms.

Johnson pulled away slightly, looking up at the other man. "Good morning!" he said, his fingers climbing up the shapeshifter's back, starting to pet the top of his head.

"_'Morning,_" Benny growled. To any human, he would have sounded like a tiger, but Nicely understood what he was saying. Southstreet looked down at himself, and, upon realizing his transformation, groaned and turned himself back into his human form. Nicely didn't show his disappointment in losing the fuzzy, warm tiger to cuddle up to.

"Did you sleep well?" Benny asked.

"I sure did," the younger giggled, "And I know you did too, 'cause you turned into a tiger!"

Benny frowned. "Shut up."

Nicely laughed again. "Hey, I know it's hard for you to control your transformations this soon after we've mated. It's okay–"

Nicely was cut off as Benny morphed back into a tiger, growling in disapproval.

The younger shapeshifter couldn't help but giggle. He ran his hands through the striped orange fur again, causing the other to sigh deeply.

"You'll get it eventually, Benny."

"_But I like bein' a person_."

"At least you ain't a seagull, like Nathan…"

Benny laughed at that. "_Yeah, I suppose. But it's still annoying to randomly turn into a tiger_."

"That's why we're gonna have to stay home for a while, -"

"- _So I don't give myself away, I know_."

"Sorry about that."

"_Nah, it's okay. At least I'm at home with you_."

Nicely laughed, leaning in to kiss his mate on the nose. "Hey, would it make you feel better if I was a cat?"

Benny's stomach dropped, suddenly remembering his partner's animal form. He hadn't seen Nicely as a cat since before he knew the animal was his roommate. "_Yeah, I guess_." Benny hoped he appeared more nonchalant about the matter than he actually was.

Johnson suddenly became a lot smaller and furrier between Benny's paws. "_There_," he mewed, squirming to get into a better position.

The older shapeshifter looked down at Nicely, refamiliarizing himself with the brown and white tabby that he now knew was his lover. The feline was nuzzling into Southstreet's warm fur, purring contentedly.

"_Nice_'," Benny started.

"_Mm_?"

"_I'm happy with us_."

"_That's good_."

"_No, really. I'm glad that you made me realize that I love you, and I'm glad that we're done with… _" Benny's voice trailed off; he wasn't really able to find adequate words to describe how awful the weeks before they got together were.

"_Me too_. _But I'm still sorry about what I did… You know, sneakin' into the flat and whatever…"_

"_It's fine, Nicely, it really is."_

"_Really, really?"_

"_Uh, yeah!" _Benny laughed.

"_That's good." _

The two cats somehow cuddled even closer together.

"_Nice'?"_

"_Mm?"_

"_I love you."_

"_Love you too, Benny."_


End file.
